Feeder for pulverized material



Sept. 22, 1931. o. A. KREUTZBERG FEEDER FOR PULVERIZED MATERIAL Filed oct. e, 192s Patentes sept. 22, 1931V j twee] fr oFFice FEEDER FOR -PULVRRIZRD MATERIAL Application filed ctober 6, 1928. Serial No 310,717.

My invention relates'to apparatus for feed-y ing pulverized material, and particularly to feeding' pulverized fuel from a storage kreceptacle toa desired point of delivery. A y

An object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of self-contained character `which will be of simple and inexpensive construe# tion and readily applicable to and removable from operative position and by which a con- 'inuous and measured supply of fuel may be maintained in desired and uniform quantities without liabilityto clogging.

A further object is to provide a feeding Vapparatus which operates under slow speed, thus reducing wear which ladds t0 its durability and general performance.V f

The novel features will be more fully understood from the following" description and claims taken with the drawings, in which :.r

Fie: 1 is a longitudinal cross section through a feeding device "embodying my invention taken ron the line 1 1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2 2 of Figi. y1; andy Y Fig. 3 is an end .view looking in the direction of the arrows on line 2 2.

Referring' to Fig. 1. the feeder comprises a material hopper 4 adapted lto'communicate with and be secured to a source of supply at its upper end 5, with a discharge opening 6 at its lower end, and a feed wheel 7 positioned over the discharge opening insuch a' manner so as to carry material from the inlet 5 to the discha rae openin 6 in uniform and measured quantities. The feedingy wheel is preferablV of the star wheel type and comprises ahub 8 and radial blades 9,` which is secured to a shaft 10 iournaled in bushings 11 in'opposite ends of bearing` 12Ilocated beneath the hopper. At the opposite` end of the shaft is mounted driving" memberl of any suitable or desired type. At the outlet end of the hopper casina is an opening' 14 adaptedV to provide facilities for the machining of the wheel housing c and shaft bearing,` Aand to allow the assembling of the feedvvlieell and shaft through that opening. A flanged cap 1,5 is fitted into the opening and secured by bolts. thus housingy the wheel and shaft in'its the inletend 5 of the hopper is mounted a plate 16 which is adapted to be slidably ad- Vjusted to regulate the flow of material between the liopperinlet and the wheel. The upper portion and one side of the wheel operates in an inverted open pocket 17 hereinafter explained. As shown in Fig. 2 thefeed wheel consists of ahub from which radiate equally spaced bladespthe width of which are equal to that ofthe hub. The formation of the blades produce YV-shapedjopenings 18 about the hub. The recessed portion 19 of the hopper in which the Vwheel operates is shaped and proportioned soV as to provide a seal betweenthe inlet l5k and discharge end 6 seal is necessary and important in the suc-` cessfulperformance of the feeder, inasmuch that should the feeder loe used to'feed pulkveriz'ed fuel to a furnace there may be'times when excessive draft would tend to draw fuel through the feeder in Quantity sulicient to cause severe fluctuation in combustion within `the furnace. A. feeder of the screw conveyor tion.

When used in combination with a pulverized fuel burner, the inlet end 5'0f the feeder is securedto a supply pipe and the outlet end 6 to the burner. The fuel is fed by gravity into the hopper 4, and as itpassesunder the adjustable slide or gaterl it is forced into the invertedpoclretl'? surrounding the 'upper portion` of the` rotative feed WheelV 7, where itis picledupY by the wheel and fed into the burner. 1 v

Conditions `maybe such that thesupply pipe is of considerable length and the weight of the column of material has a. tendency to "increase its densityY in thehopper7 making'it difficult to feed the material in its compressed state at a uniform rate to the burner.

To this end I have mounted the feed wheel in the inverted pocket Vvcompartment 17 in spaced relation to the hopper inlet..A The of the wheel is substantially in the direction ofthe movement ofthe material as it passes from the'hopper inlet vto the wheel.

lili( as the material piles up substantially at the side of the Wheel in the direccion of itsrotation, each opening is completely filled due tov the curvature of the hopper at that side of the Wheel before it Lenters the confines of the Wheel housing. As each blade passes the outlet opening, the material 23 init-s loosened state readily flows in a uniform manner through the outlet to the burner or source of delJIery.` The only interi uption 'in the uniform flow ofthe material tothe outlet Will be the short interval in which the `ends 2l of the blades are passing over the edge Q2 of the outlet opening and this is comparatively negligible as there will be some material' ahead ofthe blade up to this point which is constantly being fed into the outlet. The material `W`ll begin to empty into the outlet assoon as the; end of blade passes the outlet opening and the rate of feedingiof the material into the outlet Will be determined' by its natural angle of repose which will remain const-ant throughout the emptying ofY each pocket and the speed of the feed wheel, thus .providing a uniform feed. y p

Referring to Fig. 2 itWi-ll loe-noted that outlet opening 6 Vis in offset horizontalrelationto the vertical axis Q4- of the feed wheel'. This is` donetoobtain a uniform discharge of material into the outlet 6 as the blade 9 passes the point of opening 22, and the Wheel moves yverv slowly themateriwl loe- .ttveen the blades'haspra cticallyassumed its ural angle of repose before it discharges to the outlet. The dis-eliargeof the material '.n this positionV from. there on Will be uniform .s the blade is advanced in the direction of he outlet.V f lWere the opening; positioned di- ^ectly under. the aris of the Wheelthere would be an undue dis of material into the outlet, until thev material had` assumed its angle of repose, which would ca an ununiform Adiseharire during that period. rll'here- Y fore the positioning' of the outlet in relation g under the gate Y16. 'Eis the compressedv c Vand insures art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications Without departing),` from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art, or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

. Having thus described, my invention what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

' l. ln an apparatus Vfor feeding pulverized material,y the combination, a hopper having an inlet a l n outlet, and means to cause the movement oi material from said inlet to said koutlet in uniform quantities, the aXis of said means beingl 1n the direction of the movement of the material between said inlet and saidoutlet and offset 1n relation to said outlet,

said means forminga 'seal between said inlet and said outlet.

In an apparatus for feeding pulverized material. the combination, ,a hopper having an inlet and outlet, and means located over said outlet to cause the movement of material from said inlet to said outlet in uniform oi .ii-titles, the axis of said means being:r in the direction of the movement of the material between said inlet and said outlet, said outlet beoifsetfin horizontal relation to the anis of safd means and proportioned so thatits vertically projected area wil-l be Within the path of said means. Y, l

Y 3. ln an apparatus for feeding pulverized material, the combination, a hopper having an inlet Aand an outlet, and means located over said outlet to cause the movement of material from said inlet to said outlet -in uniform ou anti-ti es and forming a seal between said inlet and said outlet, the axis of said means beine` in tne direction of the movement of 4the material between said inlet and said outletand offset in relation to said outlet.

Ll. ln an apparatus for feeding pulverized ma jerial, the combination, a hopper having an inlet and an outlet, feedinzgY means located over said outlet to cause the movement of material from said inlet to said outlet in uniform quantities, the axis of said means being in the direction of the movement of material between said inlet and said outlet, means for controlling-the movement ofi material between sal inlet and said feeding means, and shaft rotatably mounted under the hopper and' connectedrto said feeding means at one end. Y

5. ln an apparatus for feeding pulverized material, the combination, a hopper having an inlet and an outlet, a rotative feed Wheel located over said outlet to cause the movement of material from said inlet to said outlet inY uniform quantities, the plane of rotation of said Wheel being` lat right angle to the movement of the,material'between said inlet and Vsaid Wheehand a shaft-to rotate the Wheel mounted outside-of thehopper.

ist'

6. In an apparatus for feedin,g` pulverized material, the combinatioma hopper having an inlet and an outlet, a rotative feed wheel adj aeent said outlet, a compartment in spaced relation to said inlet and communicating therewith to form a. pocket over saidwheel and adapted to receive material from said inlet, and meansy to regulate the passage of material between said inlet and said pocket, the axis of said wheel being in the direction of the movement of the material between said inlet and said pocket and offset in horilzontal relation to said outlet.

7. In an apparatus for feeding` 'pulverized material, the combination, a hopper having an inlet and an outlet, a rotative feed wheel, a compartment in spaced relation to said inlet and communica-ting therewith to form a pocket over said wheel, an adjustable gate between said inlet and said pocket, and a recessed portion adjacent said outlet adapted to receive and confine a portion of said feed wheel when in operative position, the'a-Xis of said wheel being disposed longitudinally of said hopper and horizontally spaced relative to said outlet. j

8. In an apparatus for feeding pulverized material, the combination, a hopper having' an inlet and an outlet, a feed vwheel rotatably mounted adjacent said outlet, a pocket over said wheel adapted to receive material from said inlet, means to regulate the flow of ma terial from said inlet to said pocket, an opening at the end of said pocket adapted to reoeive` the wheel and means to close said 'openand retain the wheel in its loperative po sition.A the axis of the opening beingr disposed longitudin allv of the hopper and horizontally offset relatively to said outlet,

9. Inan apparatus for feeding p ulverized material, the'combination, a hopper comprisn an inlet and an outlet, an inverted pocket i in spaced relationto said inlet and communioatinsr rtherewith and said outlet, abladed y wheel positioned between said pocket and said outlet, a shaft rotatably mounted under the hopper and secured to the wheel, means to rotate the shaft, .said wheel and hopper being' adapted to provide a seal between the outlet and said pocket.y and an openino provided to allowthe assembling of the wheel in a direction longitudinally of the hopper and a capto close the opening and to retain said wheel in its operative position.

10. In an apparatus for feeding` materials, a casing having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet and said outlet being` disposed in different transverse planes, and a member for controlling the feed of the material through the outlet and forming` a seal between said inlet and said outlet. f

11. In an apparatus for feeding materials,

Aa casing` having an inlet and-an outlet, a partition member. intermediate said inlet and k said outlet, and a feed wheel for controlling signature. y i

OTTO A. KREUTZBERG. 

